Associate Category Manager

Lee Valley Tools•Ottawa, ON

57d

About The Position

The Associate Category Manager plays a vital role in delivering compelling and innovative products that resonate with our customers and drive business performance. This position supports the end-to-end management of assigned product sub-categories, with a dual focus on introducing new products to market and optimizing the performance of existing portfolios. By working collaboratively across internal teams and with external vendors, the Associate Category Manager helps ensure category strategies align with customer needs, financial goals, and the company’s strategic vision.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in business or related discipline
1-2 years’ related experience in category management or relevant experience in woodworking, power tools or hardware.
Ability to make routine, low-impact financial decisions within clear parameters and limited budget.
Ability to evaluate a product and recommend an appropriate business case
Highly organized with the ability to multi-task and prioritize effectively
Self-driven and proactive
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple deadlines
Negotiation skills
Teamwork and collaboration
Highly proficient in Microsoft Office Suite

Responsibilities

Support the development and execution of sourcing strategies by identifying and prioritizing new products and promotions that deliver value to customers.
Manage new and existing vendor relationships, collaborating to improve cost, quality, reliability, and innovation for a sustained competitive advantage.
Perform market research and liaise with internal departments to gather and communicate information relevant to new product opportunities and marketing initiatives.
Develop business cases for new products and promotions, incorporating data on competition, freight, duty, comparator sales, surveys, and testing.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams on go-to-market strategies and marketing collateral for stores, catalogs, and digital platforms.
Align new product budgets and inventory forecasts in collaboration with the Planning team.
Oversee quality control, compliance, and SKU-level costing during product onboarding.
Participate in or lead presentations of findings and recommendations to leadership.
Select and purchase merchandise for resale
Determine strategic planning related to new product lines
Recommend suitable products
Identify potential markets
Negotiate with suppliers for the provision of products
Partner with the Category Manager to develop and execute merchant assortment and financial plans for assigned sub-categories.
Co-own seasonal planning processes and support execution across relevant channels.
Advocate for and contribute to portfolio strategies that enhance competitiveness and meet marketing and business objectives.
Conduct regular product reviews, including line rationalization, assortment planning, and new product development.
Monitor and manage financial performance to targets across key metrics: Revenue, Margin $, Margin %, Inventory Value, and Turnover.
Provide analytical insights and performance reporting on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis to support continuous improvement.
Work with Planners to align budgets, optimize inventory levels, and maintain balanced assortments.
Perform other duties and participate in special projects as assigned.